Collapsible table



p 1967 D. A. F. FLODELL 3,339,503

COLLAP S IBLE TABLE Filed March 21, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

DICK ARNE FREDRIK FLODELL ATTORNEY P 5, 1967 D. A. F. FLODELL 3,339,503

COLLAPS I BLE TABLE Filed Mafch 21, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR DICK ARNE FREDRIK FLODELL Sept. 5, 1967 Filed March 21, 1966 D. A. F. FLODELL GOLLAPSIBLE TABLE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. DICK ARNE FREDRIK FLODELL United States Patent Office COLLAPSIBLE TABLE Dick Arne Fredrik Flodell, 11 Strandvagen, Saltsjobaden, Sweden Filed Mar. 21, 1966, Ser. No. 535,915 Claims priority, application Sweden, Apr. 28, 1965,

, 5,594/65 6 Claims. (Cl. 108-153) This invention relates to a collapsible table.

More particularly this invention relates to a collapsible table of the type composed of a leaf and a base portion which comprises only one pair of legs each leg being provided at the bottom with a transverse foot and at the top with a transverse leaf support.

One main object of the invention is to provide a table of the so-called pillar type which can be easily and rapidly assembled and dismantled without use of screws and similar fastening means.

Another object of the invention is to provide tables, the dismantled parts of which can be stacked on top of each other so that they occupy the minimum of space whereas in the assembled condition they present extraordinary stability.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a table the legs of which are placed a relatively long way in from the edges of the table leaf so that they do not cause any obstruction to people sitting around the table.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, and of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a table manufactured in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a table base portion dismantled and suspended on a wall.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of a dismantled table leaf.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are partly fragmentary perspective views of two examples of how the table devised according to the invention can be combined to form larger units.

The table devised accordingto-the invention is of the column ty'pe i.e. it' has only two legs and 12 which are each supported by a transverse foot 14, 16. The legs include two central sleeve-formed leg supports 18 and 20.which are rigidly connected to one another by means of a cross-stay24. The leg supports and cross-stay extend substantially in one and the same plane. Both feet 14 and 16 are made of elongated metal bar preferably T- shaped. In the centre portions of said feet 14 and 16, two shanks or tubes 26 and 28 respectively are welded, said and being axially locked thereto but being rotatable in relation to the same.-

Each of the shanks or tubes 26, 28 is securely welded to its table top of leaf support 30, 32, which may be given the form of an L-shaped bar. The foot and leaf supports are thus mutually securely connected in pairs by means of the shanks or tubes 26, 28, whereby they can be pivoted from a position (FIG. 2) in which the feet and leaf supports lie in the same plane as the leg supports 18 and 20 and the cross-stay 24, to a position in the assembled table (FIGS. 1, 4 and 5), in which they are displaced through an angle of 90. When the individual parts occupy the first-mentioned position they can be placed adjacent to each other and suspended from brackets 34 secured in a wall as shown in FIG. 2 the table base occupying a minimum of space.

A table leaf 36 (FIGS. 1 and 3), which may be of any known type, is provided underneath with a plurality of brackets which are fastened, e.g.-by screws, to said table leaf. If said leaf is of rectangular oblong form one or more brackets can be disposed in two rows at a distubes extending through the leg supports 18 and 20 1 3,339,503 Patented Sept. 5, 1967 tance from the longitudinal edges and in mutually parallel relationship. Each of such rows can include a central bracket 38 and brackets 40, 42 disposed on either side of said centre bracket 38. In cross-section these brackets present a double-angle profile with side portions 44 which are situated at a distance below the surface of the table leaf and are turned toward each other in both the rows. These side portions form projections which fit the leaf supports 30, 32 in such a way that, when said leaf supports are positioned so that the horizontally disposed portions 46 thereof face outwardly away from one another, the portions 46 fit slidably and snugly into the spaces betweenthe table leaf 36 and the side portions 44. The leaf 36 is maintained against movement in the longitudinal direction of the same by means of the friction produced between the supports and the brackets.

Similarly two brackets or rows of brackets are disposed at right angles to the above-mentioned brackets. These latter brackets can also include a central bracket 47 and brackets 48 located on either side of said central bracket 47. The brackets 47, 48 together with their side portions extend parallel to the sides of the leaf 36.

According to the invention, the table can be assembled with very few manual operations and in a very short time, which is of particular significance in restaurants and other licensed premises. The base portion, forming one unit, is placed on the floor with the legs and leaf supports 30 and 32 rotated at 90 to the place where they are to stand. The leaf 36 is then attached by firstly causing the most distant bracket or row of brackets 47 and 48 to engage the portion 46 on'one of the leaf supports 30, 32, and there after urging the nearest situated leaf support inwardly and allowing this to spring out until the second leaf support together with its side portion of the second row 46 has passed in under the side portions of brackets.

The many variations possible in assembling the table to required size and shape are of particular value. As is illustrated in FIG. 4 two bases 52, 54 support the central rectangular table leaf 36, a leaf 56 provided with a rounded edge on the one side and a smaller square leaf 58 on the otherside. In this case the leaf supports 30, 32 are disposed parallel to the long sides of the leaf 36 and are inserted in brackets 40 and 42, respectively.

The leaf supports extend to the half way mark over the side leaves 56, 58 where they fit into brackets 60 and 62 and 64 and 66 respectively, which are mounted in relation to one another in the same manner as described 'above, so that the leaves are held in position by spring eflect.

It is easily understood the leaf support in assembled position is prevented from rotating in relation to the leg supports 18 and 20 due to the fact that they in turn are lockedby the leaf or'leaves. The friction created by spring pressure between the brackets and the leaf sup ports is suflicient to hold the table in position, even in the longitudinaldirection of the leaf supports. The spring pressure acts favourably on the stays and the mutual combination effect exerted on one another by all table members.

Referring to FIG. 5, the base portions 68, 70 and 72, respectively are connected with leaves 76, 78, and 82, respectively. The leaves 78, 80 are rectangular in shape and are positioned with their long sides adjacent to one another. The leaf 82 has the same length as the other leaves but is provided with a rounded edge. In this case, the respective leaf supports are inserted into the brackets 47 and 48 (FIG. 1), which are parallel to the short sides, of the leaves.

As is evident from FIG. 5, the leaf 76 is supported and secured by the base portion 68, the leaf 78 by both the base portions 68, 70, the leaf 80 by the base portions Q 70, 72 and finally the end leaf 82 solely by the base portion 72. The side portions of the brackets and the cross stays 24, over the completely assembled table, are located in a central vertical longitudinal plane and consequently do not obstruct people sitting around the table. The side portions of the brackets associated with the leaves may be disposed to face away from one another, in which case the brackets must be closer together on assembly. The foot supports 14, 16 and the leaf supports 30, 32, respectively, may be removably connected to the leg supports 18, 20. The sections can then be joined together by axially fitting one on the other. The above described combined base portion unit, however, is easier to assemble.

While one more or less specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described it is to be understood that this is for purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limited thereby, but its scope is to be determined by the appended claims.

What I claim is: 1. A collapsible table, comprising a leaf forming a table top, a base having only two spaced, parallel legs, each leg comprising a transverse foot at its bot-tom, and

a transverse leaf support at its top,

a cross-stay interconnecting the two legs, said legs being rotatable relative to the cross-s-tay, and

cooperating means on said leaf and the two leaf supports for releasably securing said lea-f to said leaf supports, and operative in response to a spring force exerted thereon by said base, to hold said leaf against movement on said base. 2. A table as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cooperating means comprises two pairs of spaced members projecting from the underside of said leaf, each member having a flange portion spaced from said leaf beneath the same, the two members of one pair being parallel, respectively, to the two members of the other pair, and a lateral flange formed on each of said leaf supports, releasably to engage in the spaces between said leaf and the flange portions of one pair of said spaced members, when said leaf is secured to said leaf supports.

3. The table claimed in claim 2, wherein two additional pairs of spaced members project from the underside of said leaf and extend at right angles to the first-named pairs, each of said additional members having a flange portion spaced beneath said leaf, and

the flanges on said leaf supports are releasably engageable selectively in the spaces formed between said leaf and either of said two pairs of members, whereby said leaf may be secured on said base in either of two angular positions which are displaced 90 from one another.

4. A table as claimed in claim 2 including a second leaf adapted to be secured to said base, and

two further pairs of spaced, parallel members projecting from the underside of said second leaf, and each of said further pairs having flange portions aligned with the flange portions of the first-named pairs of members, when both said leaves are secured to said base,

said flanges on said leaf supports being of a length sufficient for each to be engageable simultaneously in the spaces formed between the flange portions on one of the first-named pairs of members and the firstnamed leaf, and between the aligned flange portions of one of said further pairs of members and said second leaf.

5. A table as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cooperating means comprises an elongate, lateral flange formed on each of said leaf supports and two, spaced, parallel rows of brackets secured to the underside of said leaf, each of said brackets having a flange which is spaced slightly beneath said leaf in parallelism with the flange on the adjacent bracket in its row, and in confronting, registering relation with the flange on one of the brackets in the other of said rows,

the distance between said rows of brackets being slightly less than the distance between the flanges on said leaf supports, whereby by flexing said base to move said leaf supports toward one another, the flanges thereon can be made to slip resiliently and releasably into the spaces formed beneath said leaf by the flanges on said brackets.

6. A table as claimed in claim 5 including two further, spaced, parallel rows of aligned brackets secured to the underside of said leaf to extend at right angles to the first-named rows,

each of said further brackets having a flange spaced slightly from the underside of said leaf and disposed in confronting relation to the flange on a bracket in the other of said further rows,

the distance between said further rows of brackets being substantially equal to the distance between said first-named rows.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 853,468 5/ 1907 Nygren 248- 2,253,172 8/1941 Fetterman 108-153 2,410,330 10/ 1946 Ashenfelter 108-15 3 X 2,746,823 5/1956 Sand 248-165 2,792,226 5/ 1957 Champion 108-64 X FOREIGN PATENTS 130,889 1/1949 Australia. 597,465 8/1958 Italy.

67,873 5/1951 Netherlands. 184,223 5/ 1936 Switzerland.

DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner.

JAMES T. MCCALL, Examiner. 

1. A COLLAPSIBLE TABLE, COMPRISING A LEAF FORMING A TABLE TOP, A BASE HAVING ONLY TWO SPACED, PARALLEL LEGS, EACH LEG COMPRISING A TRANSVERSE FOOT AT ITS BOTTOM, AND A TRANSVERSE LEAF SUPPORT AT ITS TOP, A CROSS-STAY INTERCONNECTING THE TWO LEGS, SAID LEGS BEING ROTATABLE RELATIVE TO THE CROSS-STAY, AND COOPERATING MEANS ON SAID LEAF AND TO THE TWO LEAF SUPPORTS FOR RELEASABLY SECURING SAID LEAF TO SAID LEAF SUPPORTS, AND OPERATIVE IN RESPONSE TO A SPRING FORCE EXERTED THEREON BY SAID BASE, TO HOLD SAID LEAF AGAINST MOVEMENT ON SAID BASE. 